Adjustable System for Stabilizing a Bicycle

ABSTRACT

A light weight, automatic release, variably adjustable bicycle stabilizer is disclosed. The invention is comprised of five main parts: a first part being an adjustable, pivoting, slightly flexible u-shaped fork that stabilizes the wheel; a second part being an anchor bracket; a third part being a down tube stabilizer; a fourth part being a compression band; and a fifth part being an onboard, LED, safety light. The invention is selectively affixed to the underside of a bicycle frame. The anchor is disposed on the down tube and the slightly flexible u-shaped fork wheel stabilizer swings out from said anchor and grabs the front wheel preventing the wheel from turning and tipping the bike over. The end of each fork is wider on the inside. This stops the bicycle from rolling backward when parked on an incline.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention generally relates to bicycles. More specifically,it relates to devices that holds the front wheel assembly of a bicyclein place. Maintaining the wheel and fork assembly within the same planeas the bicycle, thus prevent tipping when parked and stationary.

BACKGROUND

The first documented “kickstand” invention was developed by AlbertBerruyer in the late 1800s as bicycles became popular. In the decades tofollow, many varieties of such stands were developed: some were mountedbelow the handlebars and were much longer than more recent designs. Inthe early 1900s, Pardon Tillinghast developed a stand mounted on a pedaland folded up flat under the pedal when not in use. Between the 1930sand 1970s, kickstands were comprised of a single leg that simply flippedout to one side (usually the left side) and the bike then leaned againstit. These side stands were mounted to the chain stays behind the bottombracket or to a chain and seat stay near the rear hub. Today, kickstandson bicycles are not as popular because bicycles are lighter and manyriders are concerned about extra weight; however, inventors have come upwith alternative methods to support a bike when not in use. U.S. Pat.No. 5,368,35A granted to Krusghke disclosed a two-part kickstand inwhich one portion was affixed to the down tube and another portion wasaffixed to the bottom bracket, however did not accommodate wheels ofdifferent diameters and widths. U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,603,875A and 5,544,54Agranted to Matthew S. BoughtonMark T. La Plante (later assigned to theCannondale Corporation) and McKanna respectively, developed front wheelbraces that affix to the shift levers on the down tube and usescompression to stabilize the wheel—they do not support a wheel by thetire's sidewalls. U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,185,850A and 4,595,214A granted toEdward Levine & Dixon Newbold and the Raleigh Cycle Co. of Americarespectively also developed a front wheel braces that affix to the downtube and uses compression to stabilize the wheel but does not support awheel by the tire's sidewalls and does not accommodate different shapeand size bicycles. International Patent Number WO2011134309S discloses adevice attached to the fork of the bicycle and has a u-shaped bracketthat engages with the top tube to lock the handlebar assembly in aplane. This invention does not prevent the front wheel from rotating andcannot accommodate different sized down tubes on bicycles.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The device herein disclosed and described provides a solution to theshortcomings in the prior art, through the disclosure of an automaticrelease, variably adjustable bicycle stabilizer. The object of theinvention is to prevent a bicycle from tipping over when parked andleaning (against a wall etc.). When bicycles are leaned when parked, thefront wheel assembly tends to turn causing the bicycle to roll andsubsequently fall over potentially damaging the bicycle. The inventionlocks the front wheel and fork assembly in line with the rear wheel axisthereby preventing the bicycle from rolling and falling. The inventionprevents the front wheel from moving laterally. Such movement can createa tipping point for the bicycle and the momentum can override the standand the bike will fall over. The enlarged tips of the fork prevent theinvention from disengaging when parked on a slight incline. These issuesare critically important when there is added weight on the bicycle andcan tip the bicycle if the front tire is not properly secured.

Another object of the invention is to provide a means to lock the frontwheel by gripping the sidewalls of the tire. The invention has aswinging, wheel stabilizer with a slightly flexible, u-shaped fork thatgrips the tire at each side. This gripping may cause less stress on thetire than other inventions that apply compression directly to the baseof the tire along a single point.

Another object of this invention is to allow a user to secure wheels ofvarying diameters and tire thicknesses. The swinging, wheel stabilizerhas rails that are slightly flexible u-shaped fork and are wider at thebase than at the top. As a user swings the wheel stabilizer onto thetire, they can swing it until it engages the tires of varyingthicknesses. The fork-shaped rails are designed to flex to accommodateand secure different sized wheels. Wheels can include but are notlimited to those with road bike tires, cruiser tires, gravel andoff-road tires.

Another object of the aforementioned invention is to allow the swinging,wheel stabilizer to be released quickly and automatically. Once ready toride, the user can simply push on the bike's handle bars which will rollthe front wheel forward allowing it to roll out of the stabilizer'sgrip. The stabilizer will snap back secured against the down tube. Manyother inventions that require manual disengagement before riding createa potential for damaging the bicycle when it is ridden beforemanually-releasing the stand.

Another object of the aforementioned invention is to provide a means toallow the invention to be affixed to a varietal of down tube diametersand shapes (such as large-diameter, small-diameter andaerodynamic-shaped bicycle frames etc.). The invention's anchor base(that holds the swinging, wheel stabilizer onto the bicycle frame) isflexible and can accommodate different tube diameters and shapes. Inaddition, the base attachment system comes with a wraparound band anddouble-sided removable tape. This combination of elements prevents thefork from twisting when torsion force is applied. The application oftape and/or band to create a unique combination that holds the bracketin place without twisting the slightly flexible u-shaped fork around theaxis of the down tube when the fork is under load of the stationaryfront wheel.

Another object of the aforementioned invention is to provide additionalsafety lighting the front and sides of the bicycle. When a user isrequired to secure the device at night. A small LED is locatedproximally on the swinging; wheel stabilizer allowing a user to be sureit grips the front wheel properly.

Another object of the invention is to allow the invention to be easilystowed when not in service. The swinging, wheel stabilizer pivots uponto the anchor base and the down tube and is out of the way duringbicycle operations. A torsion spring wound around the axle and held inwith indents locks the rigid, yet slightly flexible u-shaped fork inplace and prevents it from moving around when riding.

Another object of the aforementioned invention is to allow to users toinstall the invention without the use of tools. The combination ofspecial adhesives and strategic installation makes it very simple andeffective to operate.

Another object of the aforementioned invention is to minimize weight.The complete invention weighs less than one ounce (28.35 grams). Theratio of weight-to-price is critical with bicycles. The lighter thebicycle weight—the better the performance and the more expensive thebike. This invention conforms to this principal.

It is briefly noted that upon a reading this disclosure, those skilledin the art will recognize various means for carrying out these intendedfeatures of the invention. As such it is to be understood that othermethods, applications and systems adapted to the task may be configuredto carry out these features and are therefore considered to be withinthe scope and intent of the present invention, and are anticipated. Withrespect to the above description, before explaining at least onepreferred embodiment of the herein disclosed invention in detail, it isto be understood that the invention is not limited in its application tothe details of construction and to the arrangement of the components inthe following description or illustrated in the drawings. The inventionherein described is capable of other embodiments and of being practicedand carried out in various ways, which will be obvious to those skilledin the art. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology andterminology employed herein are for the purpose of description andshould not be regarded as limiting.

As such, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the conceptionupon which this disclosure is based may readily be utilized as a basisfor designing of other structures, methods and systems for carrying outthe several purposes of the present disclosed device. It is important,therefore, that the claims be regarded as including such equivalentconstruction and methodology insofar as they do not depart from thespirit and scope of the present invention. As used in the claims todescribe the various inventive aspects and embodiments, “comprising”means including, but not limited to, whatever follows the word“comprising”. Thus, use of the term “comprising” indicates that thelisted elements are required or mandatory, but that other elements areoptional and may or may not be present. By “consisting of” is meantincluding, and limited to, whatever follows the phrase “consisting of”.Thus, the phrase “consisting of” indicates that the listed elements arerequired or mandatory, and that no other elements may be present. By“consisting essentially of” is meant including any elements listed afterthe phrase, and limited to other elements that do not interfere with orcontribute to the activity or action specified in the disclosure for thelisted elements. Thus, the phrase “consisting essentially of” indicatesthat the listed elements are required or mandatory, but that otherelements are optional and may or may not be present depending uponwhether or not they affect the activity or action of the listedelements. The objects features, and advantages of the present invention,as well as the advantages thereof over existing prior art, which willbecome apparent from the description to follow, are accomplished by theimprovements described in this specification and hereinafter describedin the following detailed description which fully discloses theinvention, but should not be considered as placing limitations thereon.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated herein and form a partof the specification, illustrate some, but not the only or exclusive,examples of embodiments and/or features.

FIG. 1 shows a front perspective view of the invention.

FIG. 2 shows a rear perspective view of the invention.

FIG. 3 illustrates a front view of the invention.

FIG. 4 shows a side view of the invention.

FIG. 5 shows a view of the swinging, wheel stabilizer in the contractedposition.

FIG. 6 shows a view of the swinging, wheel stabilizer in the extendedposition.

FIG. 7 shows a section view of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF FIGURES

In this description, the directional prepositions of up, upwardly, down,downwardly, front, back, top, upper, bottom, lower, left, right andother such terms refer to the device as it is oriented and appears inthe drawings and are used for convenience only; they are not intended tobe limiting or to imply that the device has to be used or positioned inany particular orientation. Conventional components of the invention areelements that are well known in the prior art and will not be discussedin detail for this disclosure.

FIGS. 1 and 2 showing perspective views of the preferred embodiment ofthe invention generally being comprised of an L-shaped bracket havingdown tube stabilizer 2; and adjustable, pivoting, wheel stabilizer 6being pivotally-connected by axle 4 there between. The aforementionedaxle 4 also being spring-loaded allowing the adjustable, pivoting, wheelstabilizer 6 to contract when not in use. Said down tube stabilizer 2;and adjustable, pivoting, wheel stabilizer 6 being U-shaped with atleast, but not limited to, two, parallel tine members and being made ofa medium, durometer material such as plastic and the like allowing themto expand and contract slightly to accommodate different sized downtubes and tires. FIGS. 3 and 2 showing a front view and side view of theinvention with anchor bracket 3, also being U-shaped and having atleast, but not limited to, two barbs on each distal ends to accept acompression band 9 (that wraps around and grips a down tube) and beingmade of a slightly flexible material—such as plastic and the like,allowing them to expand and contract slightly to accommodate differentsized down tubes. FIG. 3 also showing an onboard LED 7 being disposedproximally within down tube stabilizer 2 and having its own batterypower source therein. FIG. 4 shows a side view anchor bracket 3 havingat least two barbs on distal ends. This arrangement minimizes the needfor many sizes of bands. The two sets of barbs can be used to attach thebands tight enough to hold the bracket in place to hold a bikestationary. Other embodiments may incorporate a double-sided adhesivestrip be selectively affixed to the anchor bracket 3 aiding in rigidlyaffixing the device to the down tube. FIG. 7 showing a section view ofsaid anchor bracket 3 with compression band 9 flexing and allowing it tosecure different sized down tubes.

FIGS. 5 and 6 showing perspective views of the invention installed onbicycle 10 with compression band 9 selectively and rigidly affixing itto the bikes down tube. Said compression band 9 wrapping around thebicycles down tube and engaging barbs on the anchor bracket 3. Otherembodiments of the invention may incorporate an adhesive strip on anchorbracket 9 to secure the bracket. FIG. 6 showing the adjustable, pivotingwheel stabilizer 6 in the extended position gripping and holding frontwheel 8 within the longitudinal axis of the bicycle preventing it fromtipping over when leaned against a vertical surface there on. Theadjustable, pivoting, wheel stabilizer 6 being automatically disengagedfrom front wheel 8 when the user pushes the bicycle forward. Oncedisengaged, said adjustable, pivoting, wheel stabilizer 6 retracting tothe down tube automatically by means of the torsion spring configuredinside axle.

FIG. 7 Shows an enlarged section view of the invention interfaceselectively affixed to a bicycle down tube. The flexibility of saidanchor bracket 3 accommodates different-sized bicycle down tubes.

It is additionally noted and anticipated that although the device isshown in its most simple form, various components and aspects of thedevice may be differently shaped or slightly modified when forming theinvention herein. As such those skilled in the art will appreciate thedescriptions and depictions set forth in this disclosure or merely meantto portray examples of preferred modes within the overall scope andintent of the invention, and are not to be considered limiting in anymanner. While all of the fundamental characteristics and features of theinvention have been shown and described herein, with reference toparticular embodiments thereof, a latitude of modification, variouschanges and substitutions are intended in the foregoing disclosure andit will be apparent that in some instances, some features of theinvention may be employed without a corresponding use of other featureswithout departing from the scope of the invention as set forth. Itshould also be understood that various substitutions, modifications, andvariations may be made by those skilled in the art without departingfrom the spirit or scope of the invention.

What is claimed is:
 1. A bicycle stand comprised of the following parts:(a) An adjustable, pivoting, rigid, yet slightly flexible, u-shaped,fork wheel stabilizer; (b) An anchor bracket; (c) A down tubestabilizer; (d) An axle; (e) A compression band; and (f) An onboard LEDlight.
 2. The bicycle stand of claim 1 wherein the adjustable, pivoting,slightly flexible, u-shaped, fork wheel stabilizer and the down tubestabilizer are pivotally connected by the anchor bracket.
 3. The bicyclestand of claim 1 wherein the adjustable, pivoting, slightly flexible,u-shaped, fork wheel stabilizer is U-shaped and has at least two,parallel tine members.
 4. The bicycle stand of claim 1 wherein the downtube stabilizer is U-shaped and has at least two, parallel tine members.5. The bicycle stand of claim 1 wherein the anchor bracket having atorsion spring along its longitudinal axis.
 6. The bicycle stand ofclaim 1 wherein the anchor bracket having at least two sets of barbs ondistal ends configured to receive the compression band.
 7. The bicyclestand of claim 1 wherein the onboard LED being affixed to the anchorbracket.
 8. The bicycle stand of claim 1 wherein the onboard LED havingits own power source.
 9. A method of stabilizing the bicycle whileleaning on a vertical surface, the method comprised of: (a) Selectivelyaffixing to the bicycle down tube; (b) Extending and engaging thebicycle front wheel; (c) Gripping the bicycle front wheel; (d)Preventing the bicycle front wheel assembly from rolling; (e) Preventingthe bicycle front wheel assembly from turning; (f) Illuminating thefront and sides of the bicycle; (f) Disengaging from the bicycle frontwheel; and (g) Automatically retracting and stowing the adjustable,pivoting, wheel stabilizer, (h) Wider ends on fork to prevent rollingbackwards when parked on incline.
 10. The method of stabilizing thebicycle while leaning on a vertical surface, wherein the selectivelyaffixing to the bicycle down tube being performed with the compressionband being wrapped around the bicycle down tube and connected to thebarbs on the anchor bracket of claim
 1. 11. The method of stabilizingthe bicycle while leaning on a vertical surface, wherein the selectivelyaffixing to the bicycle down tube also being performed with the anchorbracket of claim 1 that is slightly flexible and accommodating amultitude of down tube sizes.
 12. The method of stabilizing the bicyclewhile leaning on a vertical surface, wherein the flexing and grippingthe bicycle front wheel tire being performed with the slightly flexibleadjustable, pivoting, wheel stabilizer of claim
 1. 13. The method ofstabilizing the bicycle while leaning on a vertical surface, wherein thepreventing the bicycle front wheel from rolling being performed by theadjustable, pivoting, wheel stabilizer tines of claim 1 gripping thebicycle front wheel tire of claim
 9. 14. The method of stabilizing thebicycle while leaning on a vertical surface, wherein the preventing thebicycle front wheel from turning being performed by the adjustable,pivoting, wheel stabilizer tines of claim 1 gripping the bicycle frontwheel tire of claim
 9. 15. The method of stabilizing the bicycle whileleaning on a vertical surface, wherein the illuminating of the bicyclefront being performed by the onboard LED of claim
 1. 16. The method ofstabilizing the bicycle while leaning on a vertical surface, wherein thedisengaging from the bicycle front wheel when the user pushing thebicycle forward.
 17. The method of stabilizing the bicycle while leaningon a vertical surface, wherein the automatic retracting and stowing theadjustable, pivoting, slightly flexible, u-shaped, fork wheel stabilizerbeing performed by the tension in the torsion spring of claim
 1. 18. Themethod of stabilizing the bicycle while leaning on a vertical surface,wherein the wider ends of each fork tip prevents the bicycle fromrolling backwards and disengaging from tire.